Colorblind people can be pilots in the United States, but how far they can go depends on which of the FAA’s color vision tests they can pass. Every applicant for an FAA medical certificate has to show they can perceive the colors needed for safe flight. Failing that screening doesn’t end a flying career: it usually results in a third-class medical certificate restricted to daytime visual flying, and there are appeal routes and alternative pathways that go further.
The Color Vision Tests You Have to Pass
The FAA overhauled color vision screening on January 1, 2025. The old pseudoisochromatic plate tests, including Ishihara and Dvorine, are no longer accepted. Screening is now done on a computer, in person at the examiner’s office. Virtual testing, downloaded versions, and printed copies are not allowed, and any test not on the FAA’s approved list is not an acceptable method of screening.1Federal Aviation Administration. Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners – Aerospace Medical Dispositions Item 52 Color Vision
Three tests are currently approved, and a first-time applicant may attempt any or all of them. You only need to pass one:2Federal Aviation Administration. Acceptable Test Instruments for Color Vision Screening – Pilots
- The Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test measures red-green and yellow-blue discrimination on a sliding scale. Passing requires a red-green score below 6 for deutan deficiency or below 12 for protan deficiency, and a yellow-blue score below 2.4.
- The Rabin Cone Contrast Test (RCCT) checks each cone type separately. You need at least 55 on each of the red, green, and blue channels.
- The Waggoner Computerized Color Vision Test has two passing routes: 21 or higher out of 25 on the general section with 10 or higher out of 12 on the tritan section, or 20 or higher out of 32 on both the protan and deutan sections plus 10 or higher on the tritan.
The color vision screening is now a one-time test. If you pass once, the result stays in your record and doesn’t have to be repeated at every medical renewal. The same standard applies to all three classes of medical certificate: first class for airline transport, second class for commercial operations, and third class for private flying.3eCFR. 14 CFR 67.103 – Eye
If your Aviation Medical Examiner doesn’t have an approved computer-based test in their office, they are supposed to refer you to a location that does, or issue the restricted certificate. It’s worth traveling to take the test properly rather than accepting a limitation because of an examiner’s equipment.
What Happens If You Fail All Three Tests
Failing every approved computer-based test does not disqualify you from flying. It results in a third-class medical certificate carrying limitation #104: “Valid for day visual flight rules (VFR) only.”4Federal Aviation Administration. Color Vision Frequently Asked Questions
That restriction is significant. Navigation lights on other aircraft, runway edge lighting, approach slope indicators, and many cockpit warning systems all rely on color. The day-VFR-only limitation confines you to conditions where color cues matter least and other visual references are available. Flying outside those conditions is a regulatory breach that can lead to certificate suspension or civil penalties.
Under the normal process, a first-time applicant who fails all three tests cannot receive a first-class or second-class certificate at all. The restricted third-class is the ceiling unless you go through an appeal.
Getting a Higher Certificate After Failing
Pilots who want more than the day-VFR-only limitation can petition the Federal Air Surgeon. Under 14 CFR 67.401, the Federal Air Surgeon has discretion to grant an Authorization for Special Issuance or a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) if the applicant can show they can safely perform the duties for the requested certificate class.5eCFR. 14 CFR 67.401 – Special Issuance of Medical Certificates A medical flight test or other practical evaluation may be part of that process.
A SODA, once granted, does not expire and covers a condition that is static or nonprogressive. An Authorization for Special Issuance is valid for a specified period and must be renewed. Either document lets a designated Aviation Medical Examiner issue future medical certificates of the appropriate class without repeating the full evaluation, as long as the condition hasn’t worsened.
This path is not guaranteed. The FAA has stated that one purpose of the new computer-based tests is to reduce reliance on operational flight evaluations going forward, so expect the bar to be high for new applicants seeking a higher class after failing all three screens.6FAA Safety Briefing Magazine. A New Era of Color Vision Testing
If the Federal Air Surgeon denies the request, appeals of FAA certificate actions can be taken to the National Transportation Safety Board under 49 CFR Part 821, with further review available in federal court.7National Transportation Safety Board. Description of the Airman Appeals Process That said, most colorblind pilots never reach the NTSB stage; retesting or the special issuance process resolves most cases first.
Pathways That Skip the FAA Color Vision Test
Two pathways let you fly without passing the FAA’s color vision screening. Both have their own limits.
BasicMed
Under 14 CFR 61.113(i), private pilots who have held an FAA medical certificate at any point after July 14, 2006, can fly using a valid U.S. driver’s license instead of maintaining a current FAA medical certificate. The requirements include completing an online medical education course every 24 months and receiving a comprehensive medical exam from a state-licensed physician every 48 months.8eCFR. 14 CFR 61.23 – Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration The examining physician doesn’t administer the FAA’s computer-based color vision tests, though they assess overall fitness to fly. BasicMed restricts you to aircraft with no more than six seats, speeds below 250 knots, and altitudes below 18,000 feet, among other limits.
The catch: BasicMed requires that you previously held an FAA medical certificate. If your very first medical application resulted in a denial rather than a restricted certificate, this pathway may not be available.
Sport Pilot
Sport pilot privileges require either a valid FAA medical certificate or a current U.S. driver’s license. Using a driver’s license lets you skip the FAA medical exam entirely. Sport pilot operations are limited to light sport aircraft, generally daytime VFR conditions, and a single passenger. For someone with significant color vision deficiency who mainly wants to fly recreationally, this is often the most direct entry point.
A caveat applies to both pathways: if the FAA has previously denied or revoked your medical certificate, the driver’s license substitute is not available. It works only where the FAA has not specifically found you medically unfit.
What This Means for an Airline Career
This is where color vision deficiency hits hardest. Airline transport pilots need a first-class medical certificate. Commercial pilots need at least a second-class. Neither can be issued through the normal process to a new applicant who fails all three computer-based tests. The restricted third-class certificate, with its day-VFR-only limitation, effectively bars airline employment, where night operations and instrument flying in reduced visibility are routine.
The Federal Air Surgeon appeal exists, but the practical outcome for new applicants is uncertain given the FAA’s stated intent to reduce operational flight evaluations. If you’re considering aviation as a career, take one of the approved computer-based tests early, before investing heavily in flight training. The test is one-time, and knowing the result up front shapes every decision that follows.
Pilots holding the restricted certificate can still work in corners of commercial aviation that operate strictly during daylight VFR conditions. Aerial survey, banner towing, and certain agricultural flying may be feasible depending on the operator. These are niche roles, and the pay and career trajectory do not resemble airline employment.
Pilots Who Already Had a Waiver Before 2025
If you obtained a SODA or Letter of Evidence (LOE) before the January 2025 testing change, you are treated differently from a new applicant:
- Holders of a third-class SODA or LOE staying at third class do not need to take a computer-based test, and the certificate is issued without a color vision limitation.
- Holders of a first- or second-class SODA or LOE who previously passed an operational color vision test and a medical flight test do not need the computer-based test, and the certificate is issued at the same class without a color limitation.
- Holders of a third-class SODA or LOE seeking an upgrade to first or second class must take one of the approved computer-based tests. Passing means no limitation; failing means the restricted third-class certificate with limitation #104, with the Federal Air Surgeon appeal available for the higher class.
Existing waivers remain valid at the certificate class they were originally granted for.